owner's own harm;" for many times such riches perish and consume away miserably. Such a one shall sometime have a son, said he, that shall be a very beggar, and live in extreme penury. O goodly riches, that one man shall get it, and another come to devour it! Therefore, "See and beware of covetousness." Believe God's words, for they will not deceive you nor lie. "Heaven and earth shall perish, but the word of the Lord abideth, and endureth for ever." O, this leavened faith! this unseasoned faith! beware of this unseasoned faith. A certain man asked me this question, Didst thou ever see a man live long that had great riches? Therefore saith the wise man," If God send thee riches, use them." If God send thee abundance, use it according to the rule of God's word, and study to be rich in our Saviour Jesus Christ; to whom, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be all honour, glory, and praise, for ever and ever. Amen.

THE FIRST

OF SEVEN SERMONS

ON THE LORD'S PRAYER.

Preached before the virtuous and honourable lady Katherine, Duchess of Suffolk,* in the year of our Lord 1552.

MATTHEW vi.

Our Father which art in heaven, &c.

I HAVE entered of late in the way of preaching, and spoken many things of prayer, and rather of prayer than of any other thing: for I think there is nothing more necessary to be spoken of, or more abused than prayer is by the craft and subtlety of the devil; for many things are taken for prayer when they are nothing less. Therefore at this same time also I have thought it good to treat of prayer, to the intent that it might be known how precious a thing right prayer is. I told you,

First, What prayer is.

Secondly, To Whom we ought to pray.

Thirdly, Where and in what place we ought to pray, And, Fourthly, I told you the diversity of prayer, namely, of common prayer and the private.

These and such like things I have dilated on and expounded unto you in the open pulpit.

Now at this present time I intend by the way of a lecture, at the request of my most gracious lady, to expound unto you, her household servants, and others that are willing to hear, the right understanding and meaning of this most perfect prayer which our Saviour himself taught us, at the request of his disciples, which prayer we call the Paternoster. This prayer of our Lord may be called a

* Katherine, Duchess-Dowager of Suffolk, was the daughter and sole heiress of Lord Willoughby of Eresby, and widow of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, the favourite of Henry VIII. She was attached to the principles of the Reformation, and afterwards married Richard Bertie, Esq., ancestor of the Dukes of Ancaster. When Queen Mary came to the throne they had reason to expect that Bishop Gardiner would bring them into trouble on account of their religion, upon which they escaped to the continent with some difficulty. The particulars are related by Hollinshed and Fox. During their exile they were exposed to many dangers, but were preserved, and returned to England on the accession of Queen Elizabeth. The Duchess died in 1580.

prayer above all prayers, the principal and most perfect prayer, which prayer ought to be regarded above all others, considering that our Saviour himself is the author of it; he was the maker of this prayer, being very God and very man. He taught us this prayer, who is a most perfect schoolmaster, and commanded us to say it; which prayer contains great and wonderful things, if a learned man had the handling of it. But as for me, such things as I have conceived by the reading of learned men's books, so far forth as God will give me his grace and Spirit, I will show unto you touching the true meaning of it, and what is to be understood by every word contained in that prayer; for there is no word idle or spoken in vain. For it must needs be perfect, good, and of great importance, being our Saviour's teaching, who is the wisdom of God itself. There are many other psalms and prayers in Scripture very good and godly, and it is good to know them. But it is with this prayer, the Lord's Prayer, I say, like as with the law of love: all the laws of Moses, as concerning what is to be done to please God, how to walk before him uprightly and godly; all such laws are contained in the law of love, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself:" (Matt. xxii.) even so is it with this prayer. For as the law of love is the sum and abridgement of the other laws, so this prayer is the sum and abridgement of all other prayers; all other prayers are contained in this prayer; yea, whatsoever mankind hath need of as to soul and body, that same is contained in this prayer.

This prayer hath two parts; it has a preface, which some call a salutation or a loving entrance; secondly, the prayer itself. The entrance is this; when ye pray, say, "Our Father, which art in heaven;" as who should say, you Christian people, you who bear the name of Christians, you must pray so.

Before I go any further, I must put you in remembrance to consider how much we are bound to our Saviour Christ, that he vouchsafed to teach us to pray, and in this prayer to signify unto us the good-will which our heavenly Father beareth towards us. Now to the matter:

"Our Father." These words pertain not to the petitions, they are but an entering, a seeking favour at God's hand; yet if we well weigh and consider them, they admonish us of many things and strengthen our faith wondrously

well.

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For this word FATHER signifies that we are Christ's brothers, and that God is our Father. He is the eldest Son, he is the Son of God by nature, we are his sons by adoption through his goodness; therefore he bids us call him our Father, who is to be had in fresh memory, and great reputation. For here we are admonished that we are reconciled unto God; we, which before times were his enemies, are made now the children of God, and inheritors of everlasting life." This we are admonished by this word Father. So that it is a word of much importance and great reputation: for it confirms our faith, when we call him Father. Therefore our Saviour, when he teaches to call God, Father, teacheth us to understand the fatherly affection which God bears towards us; which makes us bold and hearty to call upon him, knowing that he bears a good-will towards us, and that he will surely hear our prayers.

When we are in trouble, we doubt as to a stranger whether he will help us or not: but our Saviour commanding us to call God, Father, teaches us to be assured of the love and good-will of God towards us. So by this word "Father," we learn to stablish and to comfort our faith, knowing most assuredly that he will be good unto us. For Christ was a perfect schoolmaster, he lacked no wisdom; he knew his Father's will and pleasure; he teaches us, yea and most certainly assures us, that God will be no cruel judge, but a loving Father. Here we see what advantages we have in this word, "Father." Seeing now that we find such advantages by this one word, we ought to consider the whole prayer with great diligence and earnest mind. For there is no word or letter contained in this prayer, but it is of great importance, and therefore it is necessary for us to know and understand it thoroughly; and then to speak it considerately with great devotion; else it is to no purpose to speak the words without understanding, it is but lip labour and vain babbling, and unworthy to be called prayer; as it was in times past used in England.*

Therefore when you say this prayer, well consider what you say; for it is better once said deliberately, with understanding, than a thousand times without understanding; which is in very deed but vain babbling; and so more a displeasure than pleasure unto God. For the matter lies not in much saying but in well saying. So, if it is said to

*In Latin; most people that used it being totally ignorant of the meaning of the words.

the honour of God, then it has its effect, and we shall have our petitions; for God is true in his promises: and our Saviour, knowing him to be well affected towards us, commands us therefore to call him Father.

Here you must understand that as our Saviour was most earnest and fervent in teaching us how to pray and call upon God for aid and help, and for things necessary both to our souls and bodies; so the devil, that old serpent, with no less diligence endeavours to hinder and stop our prayers, that we shall not call upon God. And amongst other hindrances, he has one especially wherewith he thinks to keep us from prayer, which is the remembrance of our sins. When he perceives us to be disposed to pray, he comes with his crafty and subtle conveyances, saying, What, wilt thou pray unto God for aid and help? Knowest thou not that thou art a wicked sinner, and a transgressor of the law of God? Look rather to be damned, and judged for thy ill doings, than to receive any benefit at his hands. Wilt thou call him Father, who is so holy a God, and thou art so wicked and miserable a sinner?

This the devil will say, and trouble our minds, to stop and hinder us from our prayer; and so to give us occasion not to pray unto God. In this temptation we must seek for some remedy and comfort; for the devil puts us in remembrance of our sins to keep us from prayer and invocation of God. The remedy for this temptation is to call our Saviour to remembrance, who has taught us to say this prayer: he knew his Father's pleasure, he knew what he did. When he commanded us to call God our Father, he knew we should find fatherly affections in God towards us. Call this, I say, to remembrance, and again remember that our Saviour hath cleansed, through his passion, all our sins, and taken away all our wickedness; so that as many as believe in him shall be the children of God. In such wise let us strive and fight against the temptations of the devil, who would not have us call upon God, because we are sinners. Catch thou hold of our Saviour, believe him, be assured in thy heart, that he with his suffering took away all thy sins. Consider again, that our Saviour calls us to prayer, and commands us to pray. Our sins hinder us, and withdraw us from prayer; but our Saviour makes them nothing: when we believe in him, it is like as if we had no sins. For he changes with us, he takes our sins and wickedness from us, and gives unto us his holi